Why We are Strong
by Armageddon Angel
Summary: There are seven attributes that give humans great power. Gray and Juvia are no exception to this. They understand that these seven attributes are the reason why they are strong. Seven chapters for Gruvia Week.
1. Friendship

**Hello boys and girls. I'd like to tell a story.  
**

**Apparently, my girlfriend tells me the other day that April 1st through the 7th is Gruvia Week. What the hell? Why wasn't I told sooner? Maybe I wanted to participate.**

**And so I did. I've come up with seven quick fics. Nothing major. Just a distraction. I promise I will get back to the A-Z fics after this. But I'll focus on this. So expect seven updates in the next seven days.**

**And so we begin my newest idea.**

_**WHY WE ARE STRONG**_

* * *

**Friendship**

Juvia Lockser had always been alone for a very long time.

Her parents left her at a very early age in an orphanage. Why? She will probably never know. Perhaps they were being pursued by bandits and hid her, hoping to reunite with her. Perhaps they were having a salacious affair, like the ones in the harlequin romances where a noble woman and a rogue meet in secret and she was the product of that love. Perhaps they were evil people who terrorized the countryside but then they were killed. But someone took pity on her and sent her to orphanage to be cared for. But maybe the worst thought that came through her head was that they didn't want her and sent her away.

Juvia had never shed a tear throughout it all. She didn't have to. The sky cried for her. The rain would be her friend...her only friend. And it was a jealous friend. It kept others away from her. For most of her childhood and teenage years, Juvia was alone. No one wanted to get close to her. No one liked her as a person. She became a pariah, trapped within the rain which kept everyone away from her.

Even as a mage, Juvia had no friends. The people in Phantom Lord only tolerated her because of her immense power. The lower ranked mages never hung out with her because of the rain she brought, her fellow Element Four stayed with her only because her power was essential to the guild's Abyss Break. Gajeel dismissed her but then again he dismissed everyone. Master Jose only wanted her power. Even so, the guild accepted her. Juvia, for the first time in her life, was wanted. It was odd, though. She was surrounded by people...and yet she was still so alone.

* * *

Gray, to this day, can hardly remember his parents' faces. He can hardly remember them at all. There were vague recollections here and there, blips about them that he couldn't really tell if they happened or not. But one memory still does to this day. It was during Deliora's attack. They were hiding in their basement when the monster's rampage destroyed their house. The next thing he could remember was being surrounded by debris and detritus. The worst part? His parents had used their bodies to protect them. The young man couldn't remember how long he cried. Suffice to say that he stayed there for a long time.

Even though he didn't want to, Gray Fullbuster left his destroyed house. With his mother and father gone, there was nothing left for him here. When he looked at the ruins of his house and the ruins of his town, something started stirring in his belly. It was anger. He was angry at the demon who just destroyed his town like it was nothing. He wanted revenge. He needed revenge.

The only way to get revenge was to learn magic. And the only way to learn magic was to find a mage. While he was wandering the world, there were mentions of a woman who knew powerful ice magic. Gray soon learned her name. Ur, the woman who had the strength of a Wizard Saint. Surely she must be powerful enough to teach him how to get revenge. When Gray found Ur, he had convinced her to take him on as an apprentice, even though she had already had one in Lyon Vastia.

Her training method was... unusual, to say the least. Ur made him strip to his undies and run in the snow. At the beginning, he thought she was crazy...or a pervert who preyed on kids. But when his teacher had explained that the reason for the stripping is to adjust the body to the cold. That way, the Ice Make magic would be easier to perform. With that, he earnestly poured himself into his training.

If Gray was honest with himself, the time he spent with Ur were some of the happiest moments in his life. He learned so much from her. Plus she was fun to be around, especially when they weren't doing training and were just goofing off. And he would have probably stayed with her forever if fate hadn't stepped in to pop his happy bubble.

A rumor was going around town that Deliora was coming. The anger he had felt as a young child started stirring again. This was his chance. This was his moment to finally avenge his parents. Gray had asked Ur to teach him her most powerful magics in order to defeat the demon. However, she had forbidden him to combat Deliora. That made Gray mad. How could this woman understand what he had gone through? Ur never had his family ripped apart from him so violently. She didn't have the corpses of her parents lying on top of her afterwards. The whole point of learning magic was to kill this monster and avenge their deaths. Despite the threat of expulsion, Gray left to fight Deliora.

He was no match for Deliora, Gray realized only after he had tried to combat the demon. As he laid bruised and bloodied, he regretted not being stronger. He was going to die and never get his revenge... Well that would have happened if not for the intervention of his teacher, Ur. She and Lyon came to his rescue. And that's when she did it. She used Iced Shell to freeze Deliora for all eternity and with it, Gray's darkness. But using that spell cost Ur her life.

Ur's sacrifice scarred him, just like his parents before. This time, though, he was directly responsible for her death. If Gray hadn't gone after Deliora, he reasoned, Ur would still be alive. Lyon intimated that much. The white haired boy yelled at Gray for taking away his dream of surpassing Ur. Gray didn't argue because he knew in his heart that Lyon was right.

* * *

After Ur's death, a purposeless Gray headed south where he was found by Fairy Tail's guild master, Makarov. The tiny master recognized that Gray was alone and hurting, which is why he invited him to join his guild. The young ice mage really had no other place to go so he accepting Makarov's offer.

There were many kids just like him in Fairy Tail and he quickly bonded with them. He formed a bitter rivalry with Natsu, developed a healthy fear of Erza and Mirajane, had a friendship with Cana and got along with the rest of the kids. However, there was a part of him that kept his heart from truly connecting with the others. Though he was friendly with everyone, his heart was surrounded by a very thick wall of ice. Gray just didn't want to get hurt again. And he vowed never to let anyone get that close to him again.

It was only after the events of Galuna Island that his heart truly started to heal. Seeing the physical representation of his nightmares disintegrate before his eyes lifted the burden from his heart. Ur had told Gray that she would free him from his darkness. It took over ten years but it finally happened. He was free. He was finally free. And now, he could finally begin to melt the ice around his heart.

* * *

Perhaps it was fate then that led Gray to Juvia. When they had first faced off against each other, he was subconsciously drawn to her. The ice mage only realized long after the fight that she was just as lonely as he was so long ago. Maybe that's why he saved her from falling after defeating Juvia. His heart saw what his eyes didn't. It saw her loneliness and despair, something Gray wanted to save her from.

From little acorns spring mighty oaks. So too did that fight pave the way for something greater than either could have hoped for.

Gray's magic was able to (quite literally) drive away the dark rainclouds that hovered over Juvia. With those gone, she was finally able to be a new woman. She was free. She was finally free. Juvia could be with anyone she wanted, do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. And yet, her thoughts were never far from that man who saved her. How ironic. She was the enemy who had a huge role in the kidnapping of one of this man's guildmates and yet, she was the one who was saved. And funnily enough, she was the one who fell in love with him.

Though Juvia got work as an independent mage, she never strayed far from her savior. The water mage followed him everywhere, adoring him from afar, secretly tending to his needs, until she could stand it no more. She approached Gray and told him of her desires to join Fairy Tail. Gray told her that it was up to the master but he had no problem with it. And they would have talked more if it weren't for the fact that they were attacked.

But Gray and Juvia, along with Natsu, Lucy, Happy and Erza were able to save the day. In that moment, Juvia had proved her intentions to not only Gray but the others as well. She was welcomed into Fairy Tail with open arms.

It was such a marvelous experience to Juvia. For someone who had always been alone all of her life, being surrounded by people who didn't want her because of her magic but just because they liked her. It was such a warm feeling. This is what friendship is, she thought. And it was all thanks to Gray.

* * *

A thought hit Juvia one day while was sitting in the guild by herself. She had just completed a mission when someone handed her an Orange Julius and a caramade frank. She followed the hand that gave it to her and was surprised. It was Gray Fullbuster. She couldn't believe it.

"Gray-sama." She shrieked.

"Hey." Gray greeted. "Mira told me that you had never had a caramade frank before. We have to fix that."

"What's a caramade frank?" Juvia asked.

"That's why you are going to have one right now." Gray told her.

Juvia opened up the food package and saw a... well it's kinda hard to explain. It's like a large hot-dog smothered in a orange marinade. It looked, well, different, and it was something she wouldn't have gotten for herself. But if her beloved Gray-sama got it for her, she would eat it.

As she was eating it, a thought occurred to her.

"Gray-sama." Juvia whispered.

"Yeah." He responded.

"Juvia understands now...why Fairy Tail is so strong." She told him. "It's this."

Gray furrowed his eyebrows. "Caramade franks?"

Juvia chuckled a bit. "Friendship." She explained. "There was no friendship in Phantom Lord. All that mattered was power. Phantom Lord would not have fought like Fairy Tail did for one of their own. That's why we lost."

Gray put his hand on Juvia's, causing her to blush. "That's why they lost." He answered. "You were never really a part of that guild. They were just using you."

Juvia looked at Gray with misty eyes. "Gray-sama." She murmured.

"I understand you a bit now." Gray said. "You were very lonely...like I was."

"Gray-sama was alone?" She asked. Juvia couldn't believe it. "But he was in Fairy Tail."

"Yeah, I was." He answered. "But I didn't open up. I hid my heart because I didn't want to be hurt anymore."

"Juvia did the same thing." She responded, looking down. Her next words were barely above a whisper. "Has Gray opened his heart?"

Gray gave Juvia a small smile. "A little." He admitted. "A little more day by day."

There was a question that she wanted to ask him but she was afraid of the answer. But she needed to know. "Are Gray-sama and Juvia friends?"

A light chuckle escaped his lips. "Tch. As if you had to ask." Gray smirked. "Of course we are."

* * *

**And that chapter 1. Again, it's nothing major. I wanted something simple and easy to relate to, so I chose friendship as the first chapter.**

**Well, love it? Hate it? No opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review. I'd love to hear from you.**

**And I guess I'll update tomorrow. Hope you'll like these stories.**

**A. Angel**


	2. Choice

**Well, here it is. Chapter two in Gruvia Week.  
**

**I know this isn't my best fic. (I'm my own harshest critic.) Making up things on the fly isn't my specialty with fics. I like to plan them out, think up the idea in my head, draw out an outline write a couple of drafts and then finish it. This time around, this is just stream of consciousness writing. Whatever comes in my head, that's what I'm writing, whether or not it's a good idea.**

**And thanks for the reviews. I'm so glad to see people reading this. Hopefully, I can make these stories good for you guys and gals.**

* * *

**Choice**

Juvia locked herself in her apartment at Fairy Hills. She was too depressed to be with anyone today. All the water mage could think about is that she let Fairy Tail down and, worst of all, she let one of her guildmates get hurt.

* * *

It was suppose to be an easy mission. Juvia was to accompany one of their newest members, a kid by the name of Matthew Ostia, on a mission. It wasn't a task that she really wanted to do. By taking on this task, she would be away from her beloved Gray-sama. But the master asked her to do it. She would do anything for Master Makarov because he let Juvia join his guild. And so she agreed.

Matthew was a very excitable fifteen year old boy with carrot colored hair and a goofy looking smile. He had the ability to make himself an intangible ghost at will. Juvia thought that he would be good as an infiltration specialist but the kid wanted to be on the front lines, fighting hordes of enemies. Her first mistake was not telling him this.

Juvia's second mistake was letting Matthew choose the mission.

"Juvia-sempai?" Matthew said in an excitable voice. "May I choose the mission?"

Juvia was a bit distracted with her favorite hobby, Gray watching. "Yeah, sure." She said.

The water mage could barely hear his shouts of joy, her senses overflowing with the majesty that is Gray Fullbuster.

"I've chosen a mission." Matthew told her. "We leave tomorrow at 9."

"Yeah, sure." Juvia replied, committing her third mistake of not checking to see what mission Matthew chose.

* * *

The two of them headed on a train to the city of Rosion. Matthew was very excited. This was his first mission as a member of Fairy Tail. Juvia, however, was distracted. She was missing Gray already and was counting the minutes until she return to the guild.

When they got off the train, Juvia finally asked what the mission.

"We are heading off to defeat the Russo bandits that have been plaguing Rosion." Matthew announced.

Juvia nodded. "And how does Matthew-san plan on doing that?" She asked.

"Well, I'll go and ask around town." Matthew replied.

"But Matthew-san might attract the wrong kind of attention." Juvia told him.

"That's okay. I can handle them." He grinned.

"There is a better way, Matthew-san." Juvia explained. "Matthew-san can use his powers to check some of the more seedier places and find out where the Russo bandits are."

"That's too much work." He whined.

"Juvia can show Matthew-san how to do it. Follow Juvia."

With that, Juvia led Matthew towards a dive bar. There, she found a drain. She smirked. This was too easy. The water mage made a motion for Matthew to follow her. Then she turned into water and started to flow into the drain. The young mage made himself intangible and followed Juvia.

Following the pipes was a simple enough thing for Juvia. She had done this so many times before. Matthew, however, was having a hard time keeping up. For one, he never used his magic for infiltration. And two, he would rather do this the direct way, calling out the bandits and kicking their butts. But Juvia was acting as his sempai so he had to do it her way for now.

There was a rotten smell coming from the bar. Juvia thought it was awful. Even though she was in an aqueous form, she could smell the rancid odor of grime and puke. But she continued to proceed with Matthew following close behind her.

When they reached their destination, Juvia allowed her body to be poured out of one of the faucets. But Matthew didn't follow her. Instead, he stayed in one of the walls and waited for Juvia's signal.

Juvia counted the bandits. There were thirty that she could see and she assumed that there were thirty more considering both how loud it was and their reputation. Sixty bandits would be a bit of a challenge for her alone, especially if a couple of them can use magic (which she had to assume as part of the mission). But considering how green Matthew was, Juvia came to the conclusion that he had never been in combat, which would make an already hard mission even more difficult.

Juvia turned to Matthew. "Matthew-san, Juvia believes that this mission is too tough for the two of us." She said in a gurgling voice. (Her voice is distorted because her body is in an aqueous state.)

"Aww." Matthew sighed. "You're saying the same thing that Mira-san said."

"What did Mira-san say?" Juvia asked, now curious.

"She said that this mission was too difficult for a newbie like me." Matthew whined. "But I told her that you'd be my sempai for this mission. And she said if it was okay with you, then I could go on this mission."

Juvia felt awful. She felt like she let Mirajane down.

"Alright. Let's go." Matthew told Juvia as he proceeded to pass through the wall.

"Wait! Matthew!" Juvia pleaded.

Matthew didn't listen. Instead, he completely phased through the wall. "Russo bandits." He shouted in a loud voice, announcing his presence to everyone.

The Russo Bandits turned around at the kid with the loud voice, many of them looking menacingly at Matthew.

"My name is Matthew Ostia of Fairy Tail and I'm here to kick your butts." He yelled.

The Russo Bandits growled at the young intruder and prepared to attack.

**WATER SLICER**

A pressurized water cannon sprayed several of the bandits, knocking them out. All eyes were on the newest intruder.

"I know her." One of the bandits yelled her. "She's Phantom's Ameonna, one of the Element 4."

"Damn." Another bandit yelled. "Fairy Tail has another powerhouse in their guild."

Juvia flinched internally. She hated being called Ameonna. But she let her anger settle down in the pit of her stomach. Fine! If they want the Ameonna, then that's what they'll get.

The water mage put on her Ameonna face. "Juvia will give you bandits the chance to surrender." She said in an even voice. "If you do not, then Juvia will not be responsible for what she does."

Matthew looked at Juvia in disbelief. Did she really believe that they were going to surrender?

There was a pregnant pause in the room. Then...

"HAHAHAAHAHA." The bandits laughed loudly until they are stopped by the bandit's boss, a man with several scars on his face and an eyepatch over one of his eyes.

"You've got a lot of guts, Ameonna." The boss croaked. "But you are outnumbered."

"No she's not." Matthew shouted indignantly. "She's got me."

That was met with more raucous laughter.

"You're are a babysitter now, Ameonna?" The boss snorted. "You used to be so fearsome. Phantom's Ameonna! Wherever Ameonna's rain fell, despair is sure to follow."

Juvia kept her face rigid. She wasn't going to get herself caught up in his taunting. However, the same couldn't be said for Matthew, who was shaking in anger.

"Take that back." Matthew roared.

"And now, Fairy Tail's removed your spine and they have you watching this brat. How laughable." The boss chuckled.

"I'll show you who's a brat." Matthew yelled as he charged one of the bandits.

"Matthew-san, wait." Juvia tried to stop Matthew but it was too late. Not stopping Matthew would be her final mistake .

The young boy was engaged in a battle with one of the bandits which is why he never saw it coming. But Juvia did. She saw it happening like it was in slow motion. Another bandit was coming up on him from behind. Juvia shouted at Matthew but it was like she lost her voice. And that's when it happened.

One of the bandits stabbed Matthew in the back. The poor kid didn't stand a chance. He slumped down as if the ground collapse from under him.

"Matthew!" Juvia shouted. "Matthew!"

Juvia ran over to Matthew and grabbed his body. She couldn't help the tears that fell from her face.

"Matthew! Matthew!" She cried.

Matthew opened his eyes and saw Juvia cradling his body. "I'm so sorry, Juvia-sempai." He smiled, but was obvious that he was just grinning through the pain. "I just wanted to impress you so that you guys would see me as a Fairy Tail mage."

Juvia sobbed quietly. She remembered saying something along those lines to Cana during Laxus' attempted coup.

"I love Fairy Tail." He whispered. "It's been my dream to join this guild and be instructed by strong people like you. I just wanted you to like me."

"Don't be silly." Juvia said, remembering Cana's words. "You are a Fairy Tail mage and Juvia and everyone in Fairy Tail is happy that you joined."

Matthew grinned one last time. Then he slipped into unconsciousness.

Juvia held Matthew's limp body. It could have been minutes, hours or days. She couldn't really tell. All she knew was that she failed her fellow guildmate.

Juvia still can't remember much of the battle... I mean slaughter. Suffice it to say that Juvia crushed the bandits in one blow. And the boss? Well, second and third degree burns from her scalding hot water attacks are no laughing matter. But she didn't take their lives. No. She wanted them to suffer in agony for what they did to Matthew.

* * *

Juvia heard a knock at her door, snapping her out her memories. She really didn't want to answer the door but it would be rude not to. The water mage took a deep breath and headed for the door, making sure to wipe her face with the inside of her sleeves.

When she opened the door, it was the last person in the world Juvia thought would be here.

"Gray-sama." Juvia gasped.

Gray looked so serious, like there was something he wanted to say but he didn't know how. "Hey." He mumbled.

On any other day, Juvia would have been ecstatic that her beloved was at her front door. But today wasn't one of those days. The two of them were standing right next to each other. They were so close. But neither of them could think of anything to say.

"Is there something Gray-sama needs from Juvia?" She asked without her usual enthusiasm that usually exudes from her when talking to Gray.

Gray looked away from Juvia and stared at the floor. "Can I come in?" He asked. Then, without waiting to hear her answer, the ice mage walked into Juvia's apartment. She didn't resist and allowed him entry. Juvia then closed the door behind her.

Gray walked over to Juvia's living room and sat on her couch. Juvia walked over to him.

"Can Juvia get something for Gray-sama?" She asked in a timid voice. It was weird. This was one of her fantasies, to have Gray come to her place. She should be happy. But the day's events were weighing on her so heavily that she couldn't enjoy his presence.

"Not really." Gray mumbled.

"Oh." Juvia murmured.

There was another bout of painful silence about them.

Juvia was no dummy. She knew why Gray was here. He wanted to talk about today's mission. But Juvia didn't. She didn't want to talk at all.

"Juvia." Gray began. "Can we talk?"

"Juvia doesn't want to talk." She told him.

Gray patted the seat next to him on her couch, inviting her to sit next to him. Juvia sighed loudly and took the seat.

"Did anyone send you?" Juvia asked.

"No." Gray answered. "I chose to come here after I heard." Then he turned to Juvia. "Are you okay?"

Juvia couldn't help the tears. They came unbidden from her eyes, streaming like a crystalline river.

Gray just watched her as she cried. He was never really good with crying women but something about Juvia crying struck a chord with him. What could he say? What could he do to make Juvia feel better?

"Matthew is doing okay now." Gray told Juiva.

That snapped her out of her misery. "He is?" She asked, needing that extra comfort.

"Yeah." Gray told her. "Wendy was able to patch him up. He just needs some bed rest and he'll be back on his feet in no time."

Juvia sighed gratefully. "That's good to hear."

Gray took a deep breath. "When I went to see him, he wanted me to tell you that he was sorry that he didn't listen to you and that when he gets better, he would like to take lessons from you."

That brought on even more tears. And before she could even think about it, Juvia was crying into Gray's chest. (Thankfully, he was fully clothed. Otherwise, she probably would have fainted.)

If Gray didn't know what to do then, he was now quite certain that he didn't know what to do now. Slowly, and very awkwardly, Gray wrapped his arms around Juvia's shoulders.

"Juvia is so sorry." She sobbed against Gray.

"You did nothing wrong." He told her.

"Yes she did." Juvia sobbed harder. "She didn't take this job seriously. She made so many wrong choices. She could have prevented Matthew from getting hurt."

Juvia would have continued if she wasn't silenced by Gray's index finger.

"You know, I've been thinking about what to say to you." Gray said after silencing her. "I don't know. I'm not really good at these things."

Gray closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"We chose this life, Juvia." Gray told her. "You, me, Matthew, everyone in Fairy Tail, we chose this life. And you know that the life of a mage is dangerous. We will get hurt sometimes. And we might not come back from a mission. You never know with this job."

"Gray-sama." Juvia whispered.

"You know, I've screwed up missions too. We all have." Gray said to her. "The master told me that we can't prevent mistakes. But we can learn from them. That's how we get stronger. I know it isn't much comfort..."

Juvia shook her head, which Gray could feel because her head was still on his chest. He started rubbing Juvia's back in an effort to soothe her crying. Perhaps it was working because her sobs were becoming softer and softer until, at last, she stopped.

Juvia picked her head up from Gray's chest. Now that her tears were done, the water mage recognized the position she was in with Gray. She finally had the decency to blush. "Juvia didn't mean..." She squeaked.

"Don't be." Gray replied. "I chose to be here, remember? Are you feeling better now?"

Juvia was about to say yes, but then she shook her head no. "She isn't. But she is doing a bit better thanks to Gray-sama."

Gray nodded his head. "Would you like me to stay with you for a bit?" He asked.

"If Gray-sama chooses to." Juvia answered softly.

Gray stayed with Juvia for the rest of the day, giving whatever comfort he could give to the distraught woman.

* * *

Matthew made a full recovery and asked Juvia to take another mission with him so he could learn from her. This time, he listened to Juvia's advice on infiltration.

The mission was a complete success. He was well on his way to becoming an infiltration specialist.

* * *

**Well, that's done.**

**This chapter was inspired by the lovely BonneyQ's awesome fic "The Baby Problem". There is a scene where Gray is coming back from a mission where someone dies on him and he seeks comfort from Juvia. It's such a poignant scene that I couldn't help but reverse the situation and have Juvia being the one seeking comfort. Gray probably isn't the best person to seek comfort from because probably wouldn't know the right thing to say. That's why some of the things he says isn't perhaps comforting for Juvia.**

**I wanted to emphasize choice. The life of a mage can't always be like it is portrayed sometimes in Fairy Tail. I'd imagine it'd be very dangerous, especially when you aren't as strong as Natsu and company. Maybe, for some of the background mages, missions are life and death situations. That's what I wanted emphasize as well.**

**I didn't want to write the last two paragraphs. But I felt as though the story needed some closure, even though it's haphazard. I don't know. I'm still not happy with it.**

**Well? Loved it? Hated it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review.**

**See you tomorrow.**

**A. Angel**


	3. Reason

**Well, here it is. Chapter three. Nothing special, just another stream of consciousness chapter. Whatever came to my head, I wrote without filter and edited afterwards.**

**Enjoy**

* * *

**Reason**

All warriors, all mages need a reason to fight. In fact, it is an imperative in a fight. As humans are rational creatures, they need something to drive them to their ultimate goal. Their reasons are necessary in order to truly become stronger. That is why those who seek power as an end instead of a means almost always falter to those who have something to fight for.

And as humans are unique, their reasons for fighting are specific to the individual. Just look at Fairy Tail. Lucy wished to prove to herself that she wasn't a damsel-in-distress. Erza and Natsu wanted to protect all of their nakama. Gajeel and Laxus sought redemption and forgiveness respectively. And Macao, Alzack and Bisca wanted to be the example that their children followed

So what about Gray?

Well, Gray's initial reason for seeking strength was revenge. He wanted to destroy Deliora. The demon killed his parents and the young boy wanted his pound of flesh from the monster. It was that singular reason that drove him to seek someone who would instruct him in the ways of magic.

That is when he found Ur. Ur gave him strength so that he could fulfill his desire. She taught him of the wonders of creation magic, how to meld ice to his will. And not only that, she gave him a purpose. He would be the one who would finally end Deliora's reign of terror. Now filled with his newfound power, Gray was prepared to fulfill his destiny.

Except Gray didn't. He failed to put a dent in the demon. In an instant, Gray was defeated. The young boy fully expected to die that day. But that didn't happen. His teacher, Ur, came in at the last moment. Using her tremendous power, the ice mage sealed up the demon in Iced Shell.

With Deliora defeated, Gray's reason for getting stronger was gone. Not only did he fail to defeat the demon who killed his parents, he also made Ur sacrifice her body and life to seal it away. Gray felt awful. What was the reason for him having this power if it couldn't destroy such an evil monster? And why have this power if it can't protect the people he cared about?

With Ur gone and Deliora sealed away, Gray lost his reason to get stronger. No longer driven by revenge, the young boy could think of nothing to do with his power and potential. And so, the young ice mage headed south to the city of Magnolia. It was there that his destiny changed forever.

* * *

Master Makarov had found him, hungry and tired from his long journey. The guild master fed him and talked to him. Gray can still remember that conversation.

"Hello, young man." Makarov greeted as Gray hunkered down into his meal. "What is your name?"

"Mmay." Gray said with his mouth full.

"Gray, huh?" The old man hummed. "Well Gray, what are you doing here?"

Gray shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno." He mumbled in between chewing. "I've just been traveling."

"By yourself?" The master asked. "Where are your parents?"

Gray stopped eating. His eyes dropped to the floor. "They're dead." He said sadly. "Killed by Deliora."

Makarov sighed. He had heard of Deliora. That demon terrorized the northern lands. So he's a survivor from there. "But don't you have any other family?" He asked.

Gray shook his head. "After mom and dad died, I lived with Ur for a while." He told the old man. "Ur taught me ice magic. Then she used her body to freeze Deliora in ice forever."

Makarov was confused. He had heard the name Ur before. She was a very powerful mage years back. But she disappeared from the public eye a while back. At the time of her disappearance, the old man was a bit disappointed. Such a waste of good talent, he thought. To hear that she took on apprentices made him happy that she didn't waste her potential. But what did Gray mean when he said that she used her body to freeze Deliora. Did she use the forbidden Iced Shell? If so, then why?

He looked at Gray, who looked like he was trying his best not to cry. At that moment, Makarov knew that Ur had used that forbidden spell to save Gray. What a noble sacrifice!

"Gray, what do you plan on doing now?" The old man asked.

Gray shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno." He sighed. "I wanted to be the one to kill Deliora. But I failed and now Ur's gone because of me."

"I wouldn't look at it that way." The master said, smiling at the young boy. "She did what any teacher would do for their student. She protected you with her life. I'm sure that she used her magic with no regrets."

Gray broke down crying. He couldn't help it. Makarov patted Gray's shoulder. "There, there." The old man said, trying to comfort Gray.

"I don't know what to do, mister." Gray sobbed. "Defeating Deliora was the whole reason I went looking for Ur in the first place. And now she's dead because I wasn't strong enough. What do I do with my magic now?" He asked.

Makarov took a deep breath and exhaled softly. "I honestly do not know." He told Gray. "But I can help you find a reason. And that reason is going to make you stronger so that you can protect your precious people with all of your strength."

Gray stopped his tears and looked at the master who had a kind smile on his face.

"Do you promise?" Gray asked. "Ur used to teach me that if you promise something, you have to keep it."

"I promise that I will help you find a reason." Makarov repeated. "But it will be on you to follow that reason."

Gray smiled for the first time that day. "I promise."

After Makarov fed Gray, he introduced him to Fairy Tail. The young boy loved it immediately, especially because there were kids around his age there. Almost immediately, they became his nakama. And Gray was happy. He had fun with them, shared sadness with them, fought with them and thoroughly enjoyed his time with them.

But all the while, Gray felt as though he still hadn't found a reason. It wasn't though he hadn't tried. He had gotten stronger with his nakama, fighting great battles with the fate of Fiore on the line. But it felt as though there was something missing and he couldn't understand it at all. Why was he still missing his reason?

* * *

Gray found himself lying on the guild rooftop after completing a mission. The sun had gone down hours ago and the moon was very bright in the sky. He was deep in thought when the door to the roof opened. The ice mage didn't even have to look to know who it was.

It didn't surprise him that Juvia found him here. They have been getting closer as of late and he had to say that he didn't dislike it. In fact, he had come to enjoy the moments he spent with her.

"Hello, Gray-sama." Juvia greeted meekly.

"Hey Juvia." Gray greeted back. "What brings you up here?"

"Juvia heard that Gray-sama had returned from a mission." She told him. "She just wanted to see if he was alright."

"I'm good." Gray told her. "It was nothing special."

"Juvia is glad to hear that." She said. Juvia then headed back towards the door. "Well, that's all Juvia wanted to know. Juvia will leave Gray-sama alone now."

Gray couldn't help the mirthful snort escaping from his nose. He knew that Juvia actually wanted to join him on the roof but was too embarrassed to actually ask him, thinking that he would rather be alone than enjoy her company.

"Would you like to stay up here with me?" He asked, already knowing her answer.

"If Gray-sama doesn't mind." Juvia answered softly.

"Tch." He scoffed. "I wouldn't have offered if I minded."

Juvia timidly walked over to him and joined Gray in lying down.

There was a comfortable silence between them. They were enjoying the atmosphere between them. But then Gray broke it.

"Can I ask you a question?" Gray asked.

Juvia nodded her head repeatedly. "Juvia will answer Gray-sama honestly and truthfully." She said a bit too quickly.

"What is your reason for getting stronger?" He asked.

Of all the questions Gray could have asked Juvia, that wasn't even on the list. She was so thrown off by it that she got flustered.

"Why would Gray-sama ask that?" Juvia asked.

"I'm curious." Gray told her.

The water mage thought about it for a while. Then... "It's because of Fairy Tail." She told Gray. "They let Juvia join their guild even though she was part of another guild who attacked them."

Gray turned to look at Juvia, who had a wistful look on her face. "Juvia." He murmured.

"Juvia wants to repay that kindness." She admitted. "That's why she wants to get stronger. If she can help, if she can be useful in even the smallest way, it makes Juvia feel happy."

Gray couldn't believe it. Juvia's reason wasn't something so grandiose. It actually was such a simple reason. But it suited her completely.

"What is Gray-sama's reason for getting stronger?" Juvia asked.

Gray looked back up at the sky. "I don't know." He confessed. "It used to be for revenge. I wanted to destroy the demon that killed my parents. But it's been gone for a long time. And with that, my reason is gone too."

"Gray-sama has to have something to fight for, right?" Juvia said.

"Of course, I'll fight for my nakama." Gray told her. "But other than that..." He sighed loudly. "I don't know. It was much easier when I was a kid."

"What does Gray-sama mean?" Juvia wondered.

"I had a reason, a goal I pursued." Gray answered. "I just wish I had that kind of drive again."

Juvia was quiet, not sure of how to respond to Gray. Then, an idea came to her. It was so simple. Why didn't she think of this before?

"Perhaps Gray-sama can dedicate his life to making sure that no one else suffers like Gray-sama suffered as a kid." Juvia told him.

The words floated around Gray's head as he absorbed the information. Why hadn't he thought about this before? It was just so simple, so eloquent. Yes. That's exactly what he should do. A smile crept along his face.

"You're absolutely right, Juvia." Gray chuckled.

"She is?" Juvia asked. She didn't expect him to agree. The fact that he did made Juvia happy. She helped Gray find something.

"You are." Gray repeated. "Why didn't I come up with that? You're right. I don't want anyone else to suffer like I did. I'll pour my strength into making sure that kids don't lose their parents, that they don't have to grow up like I did." Gray couldn't help but grin. He had found a reason to get stronger and that made him feel good. "That'll be my reason to grow stronger."

Juvia smiled. "And if Gray-sama wants, Juvia will help Gray-sama because helping him is Juvia's reason for getting stronger."

Gray turned and smiled at Juvia, whose heart fluttered when he did. "You would do that for me?"

Juvia nodded immediately. "Of course." She smiled at her beloved.

Gray placed his hand on Juvia's, causing the water mage to blush profusely. "Thank you, Juvia."

With that, the two of them lied under the full moon in comfortable silence. They now had their reasons to become stronger.

* * *

**Well. That's that. This came to me when I was thinking about Fairy Tail and what drives them. Then when I was thinking about, I realize that he doesn't really have much driving him beyond the need to protect his nakama. The only time he had such drive was when he was a kid back with Ur. That's how I came up with this.**

**Well. Loved it? Hated it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review.**

**Hope to hear from you.**

**A. Angel.**


	4. Love

**Well, here is chapter 4. You'll notice that this chapter is more introspective than the others. I figured that it was the best way to explore Gray and Juvia's feelings for each other. Well, I hope you like it.**

* * *

**Love**

When Juvia was a little girl, no one wanted to be around her. She had no friends to talk to, no one to laugh with, nobody at all. Juvia wished for a friend, just one friend and in return, Juvia would give that friend her everything. She would be the best friend that anyone could ask for.

She just wanted someone, anyone, to be happy to have her as a friend. But that wasn't to be. The rain prevented that. It fell wherever Juvia was, making everyone around her depressed. No one wanted to be around Juvia because she made the weather gloomy. No one invited Juvia to parties, to clubs, to anything really. She was alone... so very alone.

As a teenager, Juvia continued her elusive search for friendship. However, she also wanted love of the romantic kind. It could be due to the hormones now coursing through her bodies. But then again, Juvia has always been starved for love. She just wanted someone to love her. And in return, she would devote her life, her essence, into making that person happy. She would tend to his needs, she would cook for him, clean for him, be there for him. Whatever he needed, Juvia would provide. This she vowed.

Her dips in the dating pool were disasters. Many men were automatically put off by her gloomy appearance. Other men left because of her almost obsessive attitude towards them. The only boyfriend she ever had, Bora of Titan Nose, left her after a week. He couldn't stand the rain that constantly fell around her. This broke Juvia's already fragile heart even more. That's when she doubted that she would ever find love.

* * *

Gray never really sought out love as a kid. The ice mage was still damaged goods ever since Ur and his parents died. He didn't want to get close enough just to lose them again. Even as he made friends in Fairy Tail, he kept them at a distance just so he wouldn't feel the pain associated with losing a loved one.

That isn't to say that he never felt anything in his heart. He has had crushes before, entertained thoughts of the romantic kind about some of the female members of his guild. But they were just that...crushes and thoughts. They fizzled out as quickly ice does on a hot summer day.

The wounds of Gray's heart only started to heal after the events of Galuna Island. Watching Deliora disintegrate into nothingness lifted a weight on his heart. Ur had unburdened his heart and given him the freedom to love. Perhaps, it was no coincidence that Juvia came in his life soon after that.

When Juvia first met Gray, she felt a pitter patter in her heart that she had never felt before. The man before her was attractive, yes. And his devotion to his nakama made him even more crushworthy. But he was her enemy, the one who wished to destroy her guild. She couldn't have any feelings for him. She had to defeat him.

But Juvia couldn't really put her heart in the fight. Even after she perceived Gray's (supposed but unfounded) relationship with Lucy, Juvia was only lashing out at the unfairness of having an attractive guy like him already taken, not at the fact that he was her enemy. When Juvia was frozen the first time (and having her breast groped), she realized that she couldn't go on fighting Gray anymore. The water mage couldn't bring herself to attack him. This feeling had intensified the longer she was with Gray.

Perhaps it was fitting that the man with whom Juvia felt this attraction was the one to finally erase the clouds that always hung over her. When she looked up and saw the clear blue skies for the first time in her life (and subsequently looked at the gorgeous man who brought them to her), Juvia knew that Gray would be the one whom she would love for the rest of her life.

* * *

With Juvia, it was love at first sight. With Gray, it was more like confusion at first sight. The ice mage was rather befuddled by the water mage who joined his guild. She was very obsessive, spending all of her time watching him, listening to him, picking up the clothes he shed unconsciously. It was rather weird. Not only that, she got super jealous at the women who talked to him (Lucy being the primary target.) And Juvia openly declared her love for him in such an effusive manner that it was very difficult to know whether or not she was being truthful. Even so, Gray considered her one of his nakama.

At first, Gray could not take Juvia's feelings seriously. He had always thought that her feelings were more like hero worship (granted, an extreme form of hero worship) than actual romantic inclinations. The ice mage figured that the more that she hung out with him, the quicker her feelings would fizzle out. She would finally see him as an equal than someone that should be a pedestal.

That did not happen. In fact, the complete opposite happened. Gray started enjoying her company. He started liking the fact that could always expect her full attention whenever he said something, the fact that she went out of her way to make him food or take care of whatever needs he might have, the fact that she will always have his back in a fight. The more time he spent with her, the more he grew to like her...to the point where it was Gray who was asking about Juvia, making sure that she was alright and her needs were met. And he started becoming jealous of Lyon and any other guy who monopolized her time.

Just as a steady drop of water can melt a block of ice, so to did Juvia's obsessive, incessant love brought down the walls around Gray's heart. By the time, the Grand Magic Games came about, even Erza saw that he was in love with Juvia. The Knight told him to make everything clear. Gray didn't answer her at that time. If he had known what was to happen, the ice mage would have done so immediately.

Gray was one of the lucky ones. Many people lost their lives in what became known as the Dragon's Assault. Thankfully, his guild was one of the few to come out with the least casualties. He nearly lost Juvia though. They got separated in the confusion. When the ice mage found her, Juvia was lying in the rubble. She wasn't moving. Gray ran over to her side. She was bloodied and bruised but other than that, she was fine. In that moment, he got scared. What if Juvia died in this battle? What if he never got to confess?

So on that day, Gray told Juvia that he liked her and he wanted Juvia to be his girlfriend. Needless to say that Juvia was ecstatic. This was the happiest day of her life. (And even though he wouldn't admit it at the time, it was the happiest day of his life too.)

* * *

Just because Gray and Juvia were together now, that didn't mean that their relationship was perfect. Gray would hate it whenever Juvia got jealous over every woman that talked to him, even the ones in the guild. Juvia didn't like it whenever Gray didn't confide in her. They worked through that and their relationship grew ever stronger.

But Gray never told his girlfriend that he loved her. Every time the words started forming on his lips, something stopped him and they would never be formed. He knew why. Even though Juvia was healing his heart with her love, the pain of losing both his parents and Ur was still very fresh. Somehow, that hurt prevented Gray from saying 'I love you'. It was silly, he knew. But that mental hurdle was very hard to overcome.

It took seven months for Gray to say those words. It took Juvia nearly dying to finally say the words his heart wanted him to say. They were on a mission with Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Happy and Carla when they were attacked by a dark mage. Juvia nearly lost her life protecting Gray. In those ten days that Juvia was in a coma, Gray realized the foolishness of not telling her those three simple words. The life of a mage isn't certain. They could die on any mission. And for her to die without her knowing how he really felt would have killed him. So as soon as Juvia awoke, Gray finally told her that he loved her.

From there, their relationship grew by leaps and bounds, not just emotionally but physically as well. The first time they made love, well, as clichéd as it might sound, it was magical. To be joined with the one you love in the most intimate of ways, to lay naked and vulnerable with your beloved, it is truly rapturous.

* * *

It was on a night like this that Gray and Juvia had come to a very expected conclusion (in more ways than one). They had just made love for the third (fourth?) time that night. They basked in the afterglow of their coupling.

"Gray-sama." Juvia whispered as she traced lazy patterns on his naked chest.

"Yeah." Gray murmured, still on a high from their coupling.

"That was amazing." She told him. "Juvia feels so amazing."

A smirk grew on Gray's face. You know what I'm talking about, right? The smirk that a guy gets on his face when he has completely satisfied his lover? That smirk.

"Glad to hear it." Gray said.

"Juvia is so happy to receive Gray-sama's love." She continued.

"I'm glad to get it." Gray responded, cradling her body next to his. "It's because of your love that..." His sentence tapered off, a blush forming on his cheeks.

"That what, Gray-sama?" Juvia asked, curious as to what he was going to say.

Gray looked away, a bit embarrassed as to what he was going to say. "Well, you already know what happened to me as a kid." He said.

"Yes. Gray-sama's parents, his beloved teacher Ur-san, died protecting him." Juvia replied, a bit of sadness tinged her voice.

"Yeah." He sighed. "Before, I couldn't let anyone get close to me. But your love changed all of that. I can't imagine how I got by without you."

"Gray-sama isn't the only one who was saved by love." Juvia said with a smile on her face.

"Juvia." Gray whispered, looking directly into her eyes.

"Juvia was always alone when she was young." Juvia admitted. "She wished for someone, anyone to be her friend...to love Juvia. And in return, Juvia would give her all to him. Now Juvia has found Gray-sama. He was the one who freed her from the rain. He is the one who loves her. Juvia will give Gray-sama her all."

Gray kissed Juvia on her forehead, then her nose, and finally her lips. He couldn't help the goofy smile on his face.

"Juvia, that means so much to me." He told her. "I love you too. With you around, I feel strong. I'm not good with these kinds of things but when I'm with you, I feel like there's no enemy I can't defeat, no trial I can't overcome and...aw hell." Gray blushed. Words were exactly his forte.

Juvia crawled up on top of Gray so that he could look him in the eyes. "Juvia understands. She feels the same way." She confessed. "With Gray-sama by her side, she can accomplish anything. She feels stronger for knowing Gray-sama and receiving his love."

Gray ran his fingers through Juvia's hair and proceeded to kiss her deeply. They couldn't get enough of each other. Juvia's hands started wandering all over his body. God, he can't get enough of her. Thank god for that.

* * *

**And that's chapter four. You'll notice that from here on in, Gray and Juvia are going to be an established couple.**

**This arc in Fairy Tail has got me thinking that some people are going to die from the guild. I've been dreading each chapter, wondering if this is the chapter that it will happen. I've talked it over with some fans and some have seen Juvia dying before Gray has the chance to confess.**

**I tell you right now. If Juvia dies in this arc, I promise you that that is the last time I will read Fairy Tail. And I will personally go to Japan and beat up Mashima. I will convince him to draw it over again with Juvia alive and with Gray.**

**Well, loved it? Hated it? No opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review.**

**Till tomorrow,**

**A. Angel**


	5. Dream

**Well, here's chapter five. I've really got nothing to say in these comments except thanks for the reviews. I appreciate them.**

* * *

**Dream**

Every life needs a purpose, a reason for their existence. They need a dream to work towards. It's what gives their lives meaning.

Just as everyone in Fairy Tail has a reason to get stronger, they also have a goal, a dream worth fighting for. For example: Natsu's dream is to be reunited with Igneel. Erza's dream is to make Fairy Tail famous around the world. Lucy's dream is to be a writer. See? Many dreams abide in this guild.

But what of Gray and Juvia?

* * *

Well, the two of the discussed their dreams on their first date at a restaurant. Gray, in particular, wanted to know everything about Juvia. For the year and a half that he had known her (eight and a half if you count the seven years lost because of the events of Tenrou Island), the ice mage never had many meaningful conversations with Juvia. Now that they were a couple, he sought to correct that.

The restaurant was nothing special but you wouldn't know that if you saw the look on Juvia's face. To the water mage, it would be just her and her beloved Gray-sama in an intimate setting. Oh she would be wearing a shimmering black evening gown while he would be in tuxedo pants and a red bowtie around his neck (he would have lost his starched white shirt and blue blazer somewhere.) He would be down on one knee and take Juvia's hand and say...

"Juvia?" Gray shook Juvia's hand. "Earth to Juvia."

All of a sudden, Juvia was snapped out of her fantasy. She noticed that Gray was looking at her with his eyebrows knit in confusion. The water mage did the only thing she could think of. She laughed nervously.

"Juvia is sorry." She chuckled anxiously. "She was lost in her own head."

Gray chuckled. "Perhaps one day, you let me inside your head."

Juvia couldn't believe what Gray just said. "Let me inside your head?" She thought. "Let me inside you?" Immediately, the water mage thought of rather inappropriate, intimate thoughts.

"JUVIA." Gray shouted.

"Wah." Juvia yelped, again being thrown out of her imagination.

"What's going on in there?" Gray asked, a bit concerned.

"Oh, you know Juvia." Juvia chuckled nervously again.

Gray sighed deeply and looked Juvia in her eyes. "No, Juvia." He said. "I don't know anything about you. But that's why we are here. I want to get to know you better."

Juvia couldn't keep the surprise off of her face. "Really?" She asked in all wonderment.

Gray blushed a bit before continuing. "Yeah. I mean I got to know you if you are going to be my girlfriend."

Juvia blushed profusely. She couldn't believe that Gray wanted to know about her.

"Why don't we have a seat?" Gray told her.

"Of course, Gray-sama." Juvia agreed.

As they were eating, Gray and Juvia got to talking.

"Juvia, can I ask you a question?" Gray began.

Juvia nodded emphatically. "Of course. Gray-sama can ask Juvia anything and she will answer truthfully."

"What is your dream?" Gray asked.

Juvia's mouth was agape. She had no idea that Gray would ask that question. The water mage was about to answer but she caught herself. It wasn't that she didn't know what her dream was. It's just... well how do you tell the guy who asked you what your dream was when it is to be that man's bride? That would probably freak him out bad enough that he would break up with her. And that would be devastating.

"Juvia is a bit embarrassed about her dream." Juvia told Gray. "But maybe Gray-sama could tell Juvia about his dream?"

Gray sighed. That's not how he wanted this conversation to go. He wanted to know more about her. But if this gets the ball rolling... "On one condition... If I tell you mine, you have to tell me yours."

Juvia heard Gray's words. And yet, what she got from it was "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." She was about to take off her clothes when the waiter came and asked the couple if they wanted dessert. That distracted Juvia long enough to get her bearings back. "Juvia is sorry. Of course, she agrees."

Gray looked at her weirdly, then shrugged his shoulders. "Okay. Here goes." Gray sighed.

"You see, Juvia, I want to be like my teacher, Ur." Gray began. "She took me in, even after the loss of her child. She saw my magic potential and trained me as an ice make wizard. She worked me till I was halfway dead and I tried my hardest to show her that I was learning all of her lessons."

Juvia was entranced by Gray's story. The way he talked about his teacher was so inspiring. It was like she had known Ur all of her life.

"There were times that I thought she was crazy for doing things the way she did, like stripping in the snow." Gray continued. "There were times where I thought she wasn't teaching me the more powerful spells. Then again, there were also times where she thought of me not as a student, but a son. There were plenty of good times where we would just have fun making snowmen and stuff. I couldn't help but feel that she was less of a teacher and more of a mother to me."

"Gray-sama." Juvia whispered.

"And then, she sacrificed her life for mine." Gray sighed. Dredging up the painful memories wasn't something he liked doing but they were going to talk about dreams, he would have to be completely honest. "The teacher I respected destroyed the demon that killed my parents. She taught me everything, from magic to life... and I never got the chance to thank her."

Gray leaned back and closed his eyes, reliving the painful memory. Juvia could only watch with tears in her eyes. She didn't mean to make him sad. Perhaps he wasn't ready to talk about it.

"That's why I want to be like her." Gray said, once again looking Juvia in the eyes. "I want to train an apprentice just like Ur did once for me. Not now, though. I know I am not good or strong enough to take one on yet. But in the far future, yes. I want to impart the knowledge that Ur gave to me so that in some small way, she will live on in my apprentice."

Juvia couldn't believe it. Who was this man before her? Was this the same man who saved her from her own despair? Was this the man that with whom she was in love? The water mage thought she knew everything there is to know about Gray. To think that she could learn more about him...

"Juvia thinks that is an amazing dream." She admitted. "Perhaps maybe one day, Gray-sama will find an apprentice worthy of him."

Gray smiled. "Thanks." He said simply. "Now tell me your dream."

Juvia blanched. "Juvia's dream isn't as noble or amazing as Gray-sama's." She was still at a loss as to how to explain her dream without scaring him.

"Even so, I want to hear it." Gray insisted.

Juvia took a deep breath. "Well, it's been Juvia's dream as a little girl to be m-m-m-married." She stammered.

Gray's jaw dropped. A full on blush colored his cheeks. "Married?"

Juvia waved her hands about frantically. "Not that she's pressuring Gray-sama into anything." She squeaked. "She can take things slow."

Gray let go of the deep breath that he wasn't aware he was holding. "Okay?" He said. "Why married?"

Juvia looked away while wearing a sad countenance. "When Juvia was a little girl in the orphanage, she had no friends. She always wished that she could have one person who would play with her. But no one did. No one wanted to be with Juvia because she brought the rain that brings everyone down."

"Juvia." Gray whispered.

"As Juvia grew older, she started wishing that she could have one person in her life who would be with her." Juvia continued. "If she had that, then Juvia would give everything to him. She would cook for him, clean for him, take care of him and give him anything he could ever want and she would ask for nothing in return except that he'd stay with her always."

Gray couldn't help but be sad. When he first started noticing his feelings for Juvia, he also noticed something else. While Juvia can be ferocious on the battlefield, off of it, she was very submissive, almost frighteningly so. And it scared him. He was so grateful that she fell in love with him because Juvia is the kind of person who would stay with an abusive man and put up with his crap because of love.

He didn't want that for Juvia. After everything she's been through in her life, Juvia deserved some happiness. And Gray was going to do everything in his power to make her happy.

"Juvia, listen to me, okay." Gray began.

Juvia nodded vigorously.

"Your dream is just as valid as mine." He said. "While it is too early for me to think about marriage and all that stuff, I will say that I like you. Maybe someday down the line... I don't know. But you're right. We can take things slow."

Juvia smiled brightly. "Juvia would like that."

When Juvia smiled, something fluttered in the pit of Gray's stomach. He had to say that he liked it. "Well, if you're done, how about we head to Fairy Tail."

Juvia agreed. Gray, being the gentleman that he was, picked up the bill. With dinner done, the two went to the guild to hang out with their nakama.

* * *

In four years time, Juvia's dream would finally come true. In front of all of their friends, she became Juvia Fullbuster. It was the happiest day of her life.

As for Gray, he would have to wait another five years to accomplish his dreams. But he finally found an apprentice to teach everything Ur had taught her.

He and Juvia was watching their daughter, Uriel Niji Fullbuster. The little girl was practicing how to mold magic when it happened.

"Daddy, mommy." The youngest Fullbuster shouted. "I think I got it."

"Got what, sweetie?" Gray asked his daughter.

"Watch this." She said.

The little girl put her hands in the ice make position, just like he had seen her dad do. Then she focused her magic into her palms. When she released them, the most amazing thing happened.

"I did it." Uriel cheered. "Look. Look."

"Look at what, Ur-chan?" Juvia asked.

Uriel held up the ice in her hand which was fashioned in the shape of Fairy Tail's guild insignia. Her parents couldn't be any prouder of their daughter. Gray remembered doing the same thing when he was training with Ur. When he finally got the ice make magic to work, he was so proud of himself. And he also remembered how Ur looked when he finally got it.

Gray turned to Juvia, who was smiling at him. The water mage nodded, knowing what her husband wanted to do.

"Sweetie." Gray said to his daughter, who turned to face him with the same satisfied smile on her face. "Would you like me to teach you Ice Make magic?"

You should have seen the look on Uriel's face. She was so happy, her five year old brain couldn't come up with any words to tell her dad how grateful she was to learn from him. "Really, daddy?" She asked. "You're gonna teach me how to do your magic."

"Yep. Starting tomorrow, you are going to be my apprentice." Gray smiled.

"What's a prentiss?" She said, adorably mispronouncing the word apprentice.

"Apprentice, sweetie." He corrected. "It means that I'll be your teacher and you'll be my student. I'll teach you everything I know just like my teacher taught me."

Uriel's eyes lit up. "Really? You'll teach me everything?"

"Hey, I just promised, didn't I?" Gray told his daughter.

"And a Fullbuster always keeps the promises they make." Uriel repeated the family mantra. "I'm gonna be daddy's prentiss." She started singing. "I'm gonna be daddy's prentiss. I'm gonna be daddy's prentiss."

Gray smiled widely. He couldn't be happier. He turned to his wife, who was also smiling. Juvia understood that his dream was coming to pass. He would know be able to pass on all of the knowledge left to him by Ur.

But as god as his witness, Uriel would _NOT_ pick up any stripping habits from him.

* * *

**Well that's chapter five. Two more to go.**

**Loved it? Hated it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review.**

**Till tomorrow.**

**A. Angel**


	6. Conviction

**Well here's the six chapter. Thanks for reading so far.**

**To Oni To Neko, ice and water aren't that far apart on the spectrum. So it's possible that Uriel could use both. Or maybe she hasn't decided which path she would rather go. So she could do both. Hope that clears things up**

**Well, here we go with another stream of consciousness chapter.**

* * *

**Conviction**

Even though one may have friends to fight for, even though one makes the choice to fight, even though they may have a reason, they may have a love to return to or a dream that they wish to accomplish, it means nothing if you don't have the conviction to do what it takes to see it through. Of all the attributes that makes warriors and mages strong, conviction is by far the toughest to maintain. There are times where the choices that need to be made are very difficult, sometimes even life or death. There are times when there needs to be sacrifices. It takes a very strong person not to buckle under the pressure.

But you wouldn't know that from looking at Fairy Tail. Each guild member has conviction in spades. Whenever a nakama is in trouble, whenever the guild is threatened, whenever there is a daunting challenge to overcome, you can be sure that Fairy Taill will save the day. They are willing to go farther, fight harder and become stronger in order to do what needs to be done. However, that doesn't mean that they don't have their off days.

* * *

Juvia had just completed her mission in the suburb of Marigold. She felt like she need a nice long soak in the tub after what she had gone through today. It would also be the last time she would work in a maid cafe. The thought of all of those men's eyes on her while she was wearing the cafe's uniform was rather sickening. She only wanted one set of eyes on her, the onyx orbs of her boyfriend, Gray Fullbuster.

She was heading towards the train station when a scruffy looking, smelly man jumped in front of Juvia.

"Spare some change please." The man asked.

Juvia was a bit flustered by the sudden appearance of the man. But he looked so hungry and destitute. Sparing some money would probably make this man's day.

Juvia reached into her pockets and gave the man a bit of spare change from her job.

"Thank you, young lady." The man said gratefully.

"You're welcome." Juvia smiled.

The water mage was about to head on her way when...

"Forgive me, young lady but you look so very familiar." The man said. "Have we met?"

Juvia turned around and regarded the man curiously. She couldn't place the face but the man had a very familiar aura. This aura was far from comforting. In fact, it was downright terrifying.

"Juvia apologizes but she does not know you, sir." The blue haired woman replied.

The man grinned menacingly. "Did you say that your name is Juvia?" He grinned.

"She did." Juvia answered.

"Juvia Lockser of Phantom Lord, part of the Element Four, the strongest team of that guild?" The man continued smiling. The aura around the man became much more terrifying.

"Juvia apologizes again but she is from Fairy Tail." She said. Juvia could feel this man's presence overwhelming her. In the past, there was only one man who had that kind of presence but she hadn't seen him in such a long time. "Juvia must get going now."

"Is that all you have to say to an old friend, Juvia?" The man cackled. "Especially to one who took you in when you had no place to go."

When the man smiled so evilly, Juvia knew why the man looked so familiar. How could she forget this face?

"Master Jose?" Juvia asked timidly.

The man's smile grew more terrifying. "Now you finally remember me, Juvia-chan." He sneered. "I am so happy."

Juvia couldn't believe that this man was Jose Porla, Phantom Lord's guild master. These eight years have not been kind to him. The last time she had saw him, Master Jose was barely in his mid-thirties. He was still young and vibrant about his dreams of having Phantom Lord being number one in all of Fiore. Now, the man looked twice as old as he once did. His jet black hair was bleach white. He had heavy wrinkles, his clothes had various holes in them, and he had a hunched back. This was the reason that Juvia couldn't recognize him at first.

But that smile has not changed at all, except in the fact that now it was absolutely creepy.

"What happened to Master Jose?" Juvia asked, now curious as to what happened to this once powerful man.

"When the magic council handed down their verdict, I was stripped of my Wizard Saint title and my guild was disbanded." He explained. "But most humiliating of all, my power was sealed. Can you believe it? All of the power that I have ever gain is now inaccessible to me. I tried to come up with a way to undo the seal but the council's power is far superior to mine."

The former master growled. "And then you pathetic children left me. Totomaru goes off to be a teacher, Sol is now a bodyguard for some hoity-toity nobleman, and Aria is in jail."

Juvia trembled before this man. Even though he had no magical power, the pure dread that emanated from this man frightened the water mage.

"But you and Gajeel are the worst of the bunch." Jose spat. "You actually joined the enemy."

Juvia could feel hot tears pooling in her eyes. The weather responded appropriately. Dark clouds started gathering.

"Imagine. Kurogane Gajeel, Ameonna Juvia. These names used to strike terror in the hearts of your enemies. I used to rely on you. You used to be so powerful, Juvia." The former guild master continued to hammer into Juvia's psyche. "You used to stand alone in the face of all of your enemies without flinching. Now you cannot do anything without Fairy Tail holding your hand."

"That's not true." Juvia sniffled, trying to rein in her tears.

"Would you like to know the most insulting thing about this whole affair, dear Juvia-chan?" Jose asked. However, the way that he said it was so menacing. "Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer, the man feared throughout Fiore, is now some whipped puppy around that blue sprite that he once brutalized. And you, dear Ameonna, can't go a day without that stripping mage."

The rain started to fall around Juvia again, to the delight of Jose Porla.

"Juvia is strong." She tried to say resolutely, but the water mage's voice started wavering. "Fairy Tail took her in, despite what she's done in the past."

"And have you forgotten the kindness that I've shown you before, Juvia-chan?" Jose asked, taking great pleasure at watching Juvia squirm. "When the world rejected you, I took you in. I provided for you, gave you a place to stay, honed your powers and gave you a purpose."

Juvia had not forgotten. It was the first time someone was kind to her. Master Jose did do all of those things. And she was very grateful.

"And have you forgotten what you promised me?" Jose smirked in wicked delight.

"That Juvia would always serve Master Jose faithfully for the kindness he showed her." Juvia trembled. All around them, the rain poured harder.

"So what changed, Juvia?" Jose asked maliciously.

"Master Jose is no longer a guild master." Juvia said meekly. "She is no longer bound..."

"So you abandoned me because of a title?" Jose's voice rose a tic. "Would you throw away such kindness because of a title?"

Juvia flinched. "No." She squeaked. "But Fairy Tail said that Master Jose was just using Juvia and..."

"And they are not?" Jose sneered.

Juvia shook her head vehemently. "No. They are the kindest people Juvia has ever met."

"Really?" He chuckled evilly. "Have you ever stopped to consider why they let you join their guild?"

Juvia had never really stopped to consider that at all. The water mage thought that it was because she help Gray and the others save Erza.

"Consider this, Juvia." Jose began. "Think about all of the powerful people in Fairy Tail: you, Gajeel, the Salamander, Titania, the stripper, Makarov's brat, Gildarts, Mystogan, the list goes on. Towards what purpose are they gathering such talent?"

Juvia hadn't thought about that either. But she couldn't believe that they were doing something nefarious. "Juvia doesn't think..."

"Why not? I mean, when I had a guild, my purpose was to make Phantom Lord number one in Fiore. If I had a purpose, then why doesn't Makarov?" Jose continued.

Juvia's will kept taking beatings. She couldn't even fight off his accusations.

"And have you ever thought that the reason that Fairy Tail let you join was that they would rather have you as an ally than as an enemy?" He sneered. "Would they allow someone as strong as you to join another guild?"

Juvia slumped to her knees. She couldn't take it anymore. She started having doubts about Fairy Tail, which further demoralized her.

"And if you think that's terrible, have you ever considered that the reason you have the stripping freak as your boyfriend is that you were becoming disillusioned with the guild and they needed a way to keep you in line?" Jose laughed maliciously.

"No." Juvia shouted. "Gray-sama would never do that. And Juvia was never disillusioned with Fairy Tail."

"You became disillusioned with Phantom Lord, right?" Jose sneered.

Juvia's conviction took another hit. "That is..."

"Oh come on, Juvia." Jose continued. "Why would anyone love you for free? What good are you unless you have something to offer? Would Fairy Tail still want you around if you decided to join another guild? Would your boyfriend still love you if you couldn't or refused to be a mage?"

That was the last blow. Juvia started thinking about what would happen if she couldn't be a mage anymore. Would Fairy Tail want her around?

.

.

.

.

Would Gray-sama?

In that last moment, she committed, in her mind, the ultimate sin. She doubted Gray. She was so disgusted with herself. But most of all, she was angry at the man who made her doubt Gray.

With her water magic at the ready, Juvia prepared to strike down Jose Porla with all of the rage in her heart. Instead of looking scared, the former Phantom Lord guild master looked positively giddy.

"There's the Juvia I remember." He laughed. "So brutal in combat. This is why they called you Ameonna."

Juvia wanted to hurt Jose. But if she did, she would be justifying the fact that she hadn't changed. Plus, he was unarmed. Fairy Tail didn't take kindly to that. Juvia chose to run away in tears.

* * *

Juvia returned to Fairy Hills in tears. Normally, she would great her fellow guildmates. But not today. She ran right past Erza and slammed the door to her apartment.

Erza walked up to Juvia's door and knocked on her door. "Juvia, are you alright?" She asked in a soft voice.

Juvia's response was quiet sobs.

The red-haired woman didn't know what happened to Juvia to cause her to be this distraught but she knew that there was only one person who could break her out of her funk. With that in mind, Erza Scarlet headed for Fairy Tail.

* * *

Gray was involved in a fierce game of Tiddlywinks with Natsu, Gajeel and Elfman. It was now the ice mage's turn. He took his piece and slammed it against the table, puncturing a hole in it.

"Damn straight." Gray cheered. "That's eight holes."

"You didn't break the wink." Natsu growled. "That only counts as half."

"Fine." Gray yelled back. "Watch me get the next one through the table and break the damn wink."

And he would have too if he hadn't felt this all-encompassing death aura engulfing him. Gray knew that this could only belong to one person. He turned around and saw Erza hovering over him.

"Oh hey, Erza." He chuckled nervously, sweating bullets. "What brings you here?"

"Come with me." Erza told him. Then, without warning, she grabbed Gray by the scruff of his neck and hauled him out of Fairy Tail despite his pleas.

The other guys sympathized with Gray but each of them thought 'Better him than me.'

As Gray was being hoisted out Fairy Tail, he noticed that it was raining. And it was an unnatural rain. Immediately, his thoughts fell on his girlfriend, Juvia.

"There's something wrong with Juvia." Gray said seriously.

Erza put him down. "She came back from her mission in tears." She explained. "I tried to ask what was happening but got nothing. That's when I decided to get you."

Gray nodded. He knew what he needed to do.

* * *

Gray stood outside Juvia's door. He knocked gently. "Juvia, you in here?" He asked. "It's me, Gray."

There was no answer.

Erza moved Gray aside for a moment to use her master key on the door. With it open, the ice mage let himself in.

What he saw saddened him. Juvia was lying on her bed, facedown. Gray could hear her muffled sobs. He turned to Erza, silently giving a sign to leave them be for a while. Erza nodded and closed the door.

Gray walked over to Juvia's bed and sat on it. With this action, Juvia took notice of who was in her room.

"Gray-sama." Juvia said, choking back her tears.

Gray looked at Juvia, trying to figure out what happened that got Juvia all down. "What's wrong?"

"Juvia is such a bad person." She said.

Gray snorted quietly. "I highly doubt that." He said. "But what makes you think you are a bad person?"

Juvia told Gray everything about her encounter with Jose: all the nasty stuff he said about her and Fairy Tail. However, she didn't tell Gray that she doubt Fairy Tail...or him. She didn't want him to think badly of her. The ice mage responded by picking her up and sitting her flush against him.

"Juvia, listen to me, okay?" Gray whispered, stroking Juvia's hair. "You are strong. Remember that, okay."

Juvia nodded into Gray's chest.

"But it wasn't just because you were strong that the master brought you into Fairy Tail." He said. "It's because of your heart."

Juvia stopped crying and looked up at Gray. "Juvia's heart?"

"Yeah. Your heart." He replied. "It beats with the same passion as everyone in Fairy Tail."

"Gray-sama can't know that." Juvia sobbed.

"Of course I do." He answered back. "You have this conviction in you. Whenever you set your mind to do something. You do it."

"But Juvia's conviction faltered." She screamed. "She doubted Fairy Tail and their motives for bringing Juvia in. But worst of all, for a second, she doubted Gray-sama." With that, she renewed her tears.

At that moment, Gray understood what was really bothering Juvia. She was so utterly devoted to him that this one stumble caused her great grief.

"Juvia, do you trust me?" Gray asked.

"Of course, Gray-sama." Juvia said quickly, a bit offended that he would say such a thing. But then again, she did doubt him.

"Then listen to me. I love you." He said with finality.

Even though she had heard Gray say those words many times before, it always made Juvia feel at easy and happy when he did.

"I love you, Juvia. And I trust you." He continued. "I am so glad that you came to Fairy Tail. You were the one who taught me how to love again, to open my heart even though it was scarred after Ur and my parents died."

"How can Gray-sama love a woman who doubted him?" Juvia asked.

"We all stumble, Juvia." He replied. "We all have our doubts. If I'm being totally honest, Juvia, I had a doubt or two about our relationship, whether it would last or not."

Juvia looked at Gray with wide eyes. "Really?" She asked. She couldn't believe that Gray would do that. He was just so perfect, so full of conviction.

"Yeah. I did." He admitted. "But then I would come back to you and you would tell me that you loved me and my doubts were gone like that." He emphasized that last part by snapping his fingers.

"Juvia did that for Gray-sama?" She asked, unwilling to believe that she could have a powerful influence on her beloved. "But Master Jose said..."

"Forget about that guy, Juvia." He said. "You don't owe him anything. Believe me when I say that you are a woman of great will, worthy of the stamp on your thigh. Believe me when I say that everyone in Fairy Tail is glad that you joined. And believe me when I say that I love you and the only thing I want from you is your love, okay?"

Juvia was so happy after Gray's little speech. She kissed him like she had a great need of reassurance, reassurance that the ice mage was all too happy to give.

And after that night, Juvia never faltered in both her convictions in Fairy Tail and in her feelings for Gray.

* * *

**Well, there's chapter six.**

**I've always wondered what happened to Jose. This is my interpretation.**

**I find that while Juvia is strong on the battlefield, emotionally, she is rather weak. If she has a chink in her armor, it's psychological.**

**Well, I've got nothing left to say. So loved it? Hated it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review.**

**One chapter left. Hope you like it.**

**A. Angel**


	7. Self

**And here we reach the last chapter. I am so glad I was able to do something for Gruvia week. Hope you enjoyed this little jaunt into stream of consciousness writing.**

* * *

**Self**

When you have friends to fight for, when you have made the choice to fight, when you have a reason to get stronger, when you have a love to return home to, when you have a dream to work towards and when you have the conviction to see it through, that is when you can actualize who you really are. This is the Self. Because in the end, you are the only one who can live your life.

A person's self is tied to the friends they keep. Friends influence the self. They mold experience. The memories you share with them are precious, so much so that they can drive you to do the impossible. Without friendship, the self is an empty husk, filled with bitterness and despair.

A person's self is tied to making the choice to do what needs to be done. Choice is very important to getting stronger. Many people can go through life without ever making a choice, allowing the winds of change to sway the self every which way. But only the truly strong make a choice to stand instead of being swayed.

A person's self is tied to a reason. In order to get stronger, one needs something to drive them. It is the drive, the reason that pushes one to greatness. Without a reason, one can become disillusioned. Why fight? Why get stronger? Without that reason, the self will always be driven by others instead of driving themselves.

A person's self is tied to love. All humans need love. Love is what sustains the self. It is a known fact that humans who have a love waiting for them are more likely to pull through whatever life throws at them. This holds true even for a mage. It is because when humans strive to protect the ones they love, that is when they generate the most power. In that moment, they truly become formidable beings.

A person's self is tied to dreams. Everyone wants something out of life, an end goal. Dreams are what make living such an ephemeral life so bearable. They make us stronger. Without dreams, life is not worth living.

A person's self is tied to their conviction. It is the will to soldier on, even throughout the hardships. Conviction allows us to fight on through the pain. Strength is intricately tied to conviction.

It is through the self that we can truly become who we are meant to be. Through the self, we become our best.

* * *

It is early morning in Gray and Juvia's home. The light was starting to peer out into the master bedroom. The ice mage could feel the sunlight beaming on his poor face. Unconsciously, he tried to block it out but unfortunately he couldn't. With a pitiful groan, Gray opened his eyes wearily. With a bit of adjustment, his eyes could see perfectly.

He noticed that he had no clothes on. This wasn't much of a surprise to him now. He turned his head to the other side of the bed to see Juvia still fast asleep. She was also in the nude. That was also not a surprise to him, especially after what they did the night before, multiple times in fact.

Because he knew he wasn't going back to sleep, Gray decided to get out of bed. He got a pair of boxers and put them on. Even though he was used to walking around their house naked, it wouldn't do if company decided to come over unexpectedly. He decided to go downstairs and make some breakfast for him and Juvia.

However, something made him pause for a moment. Gray looked at Juvia and it made him smile. She looked so beautiful with her blue hair cascading down her head like a river. Her perfect skin only had two scars from her missions. Her perfect breasts heaved with ever breath she took. God, she was perfect. How did he not notice this when first met her? She was all his now and that's what mattered.

Gray's stomach growled, wanting to be fed. He was getting quite hungry. As quietly as he could, Gray walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. He wanted to make something simple. Bacon and eggs were simple enough and he had enough culinary expertise to make it. Plus making breakfast would score him some points with Juvia. Not that he needed any more, especially when he had all of the points she could possibly give, including the bonus ones. But it was these little things showed that he cared about her.

As the bacon started to sizzle and the eggs started cooking, Gray began thinking about Juvia. In fact, his thoughts never really strayed far from her. The water mage was so ingrained in him that he couldn't even think about life without her. He had no idea how he got through eighteen years without Juvia and another one and a half years (eight and a half if you count the seven years that they lost due to Tenrou Island) that they weren't a couple. He needed Juvia like he needed the air that he breathes.

"Gray." A weary voice called out to him.

Gray turned around to see Juvia standing in the kitchen doorway. She was wearing her bathroom...and most likely, nothing else. God, she looked so tempting with her tousled blue hair and her sleep weary face. But then again, she looked sultry no matter how she looked.

"Hey, Juvia." Gray replied. "I'm just making some breakfast. Grab a couple of plates."

Juvia did so and set the table. She also got some cups and a carton of orange juice. She poured the juice into the cups while Gray served the food into the plates.

The two ate in a comfortable silence. Neither needed words to convey what they were feeling. Three and a half years of being lovers will do that for you.

Gray watched Juvia as he ate. How is it that he found someone like Juvia? She was so loving and kind and deeply devoted to him. It is hard to believe that there was a time where she was so depressed that the rain always fell on her. She never had any friends. She didn't have anything worth holding onto. And yet, despite that, she transformed into a wonderful woman. Gray also couldn't believe that he was responsible for the transformation.

And Gray himself underwent a transformation. He didn't know when or how but they had become so intricately entwined that he didn't know where the self of Gray Fullbuster ended and the self of Juvia Lockser began. Then again, he loved Juvia so much that it didn't matter.

"What does Gray plan to do today?" Juvia asked.

Gray thought about it for a second. Then a sly smile crept along his face. "Nothing." He smiled simply.

"Nothing?" Juvia asked. "Gray is not going to go to the guild and pick up a mission?"

He continued to smile. "Nope. Gonna stay right here and so are you."

Juvia was confused. "Then what does Gray have planned for he and Juvia?" She asked.

Gray skulked over to Juvia and kissed her deep. His hands wandered to the inside of her robe, touching her naked body. Juvia got the message and wrapped her legs around Gray's waist so that he could pick her up and take her to the bedroom.

There was one more thing that Gray thought about as he took Juvia to bed (in more ways than one). This woman, Juvia Lockser, was an important part of his 'self' just as he was an important part of her 'self'. She was his strength just as he was hers. The ice mage knew that this woman would be the one to whom he would devote his whole life. Juvia was going to be his bride one day.

Not now, of course, but soon. He wanted to make sure that to set a very romantic mood on the day that he did propose. In the meantime, Gray was content in making sure to love Juvia and make love to her.

Because just as ice cannot exist without water, so to can Gray not exist without Juvia.

* * *

**And there we have it, boys and girls. The end of the fic. I know, it is sad.**

**The line about Gray getting the points and bonus points doesn't belong to me. It belongs to BonneyQ from her "The Stories about You and I" fics. There was a chapter where he gets feminine pads for her and helps her through her cramps. He mentions the points and bonus points line while he is getting the product for Juvia. You should go read it. It's awesome.**

**Finally, loved the fic? Hated the fic? Have no opinion whatsoever? Leave me a review. I'd love to hear from you.**

**With this, I can finally get back to my A-Z fics. I've been sorely missing them.**

**With lots of love...**

**A. Angel**


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